Adjustment link for wristband



Feb. 3, 1959 R. O'LARTE ETAL ADJUSTMENT LINK FOR WRISTBAND Filed April 19, 1955 INVENTORS. RUDOLPH O'LARTE JOSEPH T. POLESE ATTORNEY United States Patent ADJUSTMENT LINK FOR WRISTBAND Rudolph OLarte, Upper Montclair, and Joseph T. Po-

lese, East Paterson, N. J., assignors to .lewelers Own Brand, Inc., Upper Montclair, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 19, 1955, Serial No. 502,492

1 Claim. (Cl. 59-82) This invention relates generally to wrist band constructions, and is particularly directed to expansible bands for use with Wrist-watches.

Heretofore, as is well known to those versed in the art, expansible wrist bands of the lazy tong chain type have not been entirely satisfactory. For example, while such bands are capable of substantial expansion, they are not well adapted to properly fit the great variety of wrist sizes. That is, prior wrist band constructions were frequently insufficiently expansible to pass over a wearers hand, insufliciently contractible to snugly embrace a wearers wrist, or were too tight about a wearers wrist to afford adequate freedom of wrist movement, with the chain links.

excessively spread apart and thus marring the appearance of the band. It has been attempted to produce expansible chain wrist bands in different lengths to overcome these difficulties, but such attempts cause substantial and sometimes prohibitive increases in the costs of production and merchandising. As a result, jewelers often find it necessary to shorten or lengthen expansion bands to suit the individual purchaser, which procedure presently involves cutting, brazing, and other tedious and time-consuming operations, and usually impairs the durability and appearance of the band.

Further, it is presently considered necessary to manufacture wrist-watch bands in a plurality of different widths, each corresponding to a width necessary for connection to a particular Watch. This, of course, increases the retailers stock requirements, reduces manufacturing runs, and hence adds to the ultimate cost.

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide improvements in expansible watch band constructions which cure the above-mentioned disadvantages, and which enable persons of only ordinary skill to rapidly and efficiently shorten or lengthen an expandible watch band any amount necessary to properly fit a purchasers wrist, to thereby enhance the appearance of the band and afford optimum freedom of wrist movement and protection against loss and damage.

It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide an improvement in expansible watch bands whereby any desired number of links may be quickly and easily added to or removed from a band, and wherein such alteration is not visually discernible in the altered product, so that a standard size band may be readily adjusted at the point of ultimate sale to perfectly fit all wrist sizes without its appearance being impaired or marred in any way.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improvement in watch band constructions having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the foregoing paragraphs, and wherein a single watch band may be provided with end pieces of any selected size for attachment to various watches otherwise requiring bands of diiferent widths. The connector members may be simply and rapidly interchanged, :also without the need for special tools or skills, and without impairing the factory fresh appearance of a band.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved watch band construction of the type described, which is simple in construction and durable in use, and which can be manufactured, adjusted to the required length and connector width, and sold at a reasonable cost.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claim.

Fig. 1 is a bottom, partial perspective view showing the improved watch band construction of the instant invention, with a watch connector member being applied thereto, and partially broken away for clarity of understandmg.

Fig. 2 is a side view showing the adjustment links and connector member of Fig. 1, removed from the expansible chain.

Fig. 3 is a bottom perspective view showing a base member of the adjustment link according to the instant invention.

Fig. 4 is a top perspective view showing the base plate of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a top perspective view showing the connector member of Figs. 1 and 2 apart from the assembly thereof.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing another slightly modified form of connector member of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing still a further modification of the connector member 'of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the connector member of the instant invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to Fig. 1 thereof, the embodiment of the invention illustrated therein comprises an expansible band or chain, generally designated 10, which may be of the lazy tong type, one or more adjustment links 11 and 11a connected to one end of the expansible band, and a connector member 13 on the outermost adjustment link for connection to a Wrist-watch or the like (not shown).

Band includes a plurality of bottom links, two being partially illustrated at 16 and 17 in the drawings, and a plurality of top links 18 and 19 disposed in side by side abutting relation when the band is in its normal, contracted condition, and pivotally interconnected by the bottom links. The top link 19, which is the terminal link of the illustrated expansible band, is of generally platelike construction, includes an inwardly extending portion or arm 20 pivotally connected, as by a rivet 21 to the adjacent top link 18, and is provided with a lost motion slot (not shown) for pivotal connection to the bottom link 17. I

An ornamental, box-like body or cover 22 is secured on the upper surface of the top link 18 by bent lugs or tabs a; and, the plate-like terminal link 19 is of such size that a plurality of box-like bodies or covers 23 and 24 may be secured to its upper surface by bent lugs or securing tabs 25 and 26, respectively.

The outer end of the terminal link 19, longitudinally of the-band 10, is provided with a leaf or sheet member 29 disposed in parallel spaced relation with respect to the underside of the terminal link and having its upper edge portion, as at 30, fixedly secured to the terminal link. As the leaf or sheet member 29 is symmetrical laterally of the band, the partial illustration of Fig. 1 is believed sufficient. Thus, the opposite side edges 31 i of the leaf are unsecured or free, and spaced laterally inwards from opposite sides of the band; and the leaf end edge 32 is also unsecured and free of the link 19, and faces longitudinally inwards of the band. In practice, the leaf 29 is formed as an integral extension on. the outer end of the terminal link 19, longitudinally of the band 10, and has its free end bent longitudinally inwards of the band to define a hook on the underside of the terminal link. The extension or leaf 29 is of a reduced lateral dimension, to space the side edges 31 inwards from the sides of the band, and is further provided with access openings or cutouts 33 for manipulating the box member securing tabs.

The adjustment link 11, with its ornamental box-like body or cover 36 (see Fig. 1) is best seen in Figs. 3 and 4, with the cover body removed. The adjustment link 11 includes a plate-like portion or link proper 37 provided with a plurality of depressions, as at 38, for receiving the securing lugs (not shown) of the cover body 36. In assembly with the expansible band, the link proper 37 is disposed outwardly of and in side by side relation with respect to the terminal link 19. The plate portion or link proper 37 is provided on its inner edge, longitudinally of the band, with a transverse, downwardly bent ofi'setting portion 39 having a pair of cutouts or openings 40 contiguous to a pair of depressions 38. Extending from the lower edge of the downwardly bent sheet portion 39, and offset by the latter relative to the sheet portion 37, is a generally flat sheet portion 41. The sheet portion 41 is bent approximately 180 at 42 and provided with an additional sheet portion 43 extending toward and terminating short of the offsetting portion 39, at the end edge 44, in substantially parallelism with the sheet portion 41. Further, a pair of laterally spaced cuts or slots 45 are formed in the sheet portion 43 extending from the free end edge 44 toward the bend 42, and defining a pair of laterally spaced tabs 46 which extend longitudinally of the link.

Remote from the olfsetting sheet portion 39, the platelike link proper 37 is provided with an extension sheet or leaf 49, of a lateral dimension less than the distance between said tabs so that its side edges 50 are spaced laterally inwards from the side edges of the plate proper, and bent, as at 51, so as to extend in parallelism with the link proper toward the offsetting sheet portion 39, terminating at a free end edge 52 spaced from the olisetting sheet portion. The sheet member 49 is cut out or open at 53, contiguous to av pair of recesses 38, and corresponding to the cutouts 33 of the leaf 29, as will appear more fully hereinafter.

Viewed otherwise, the adjustment link 11 may be considered as a base sheet 54 of generally $shaped configuration with the box-like body 36 secured to the base sheet. More particularly, the link proper or plate 37 and its bent extension 49 define one open loop, hook, or hooked sheet member, generally designated 55, and the sheet portions 41, 42 and 43 define another open loop, hook, or hooked sheet member, generally designated 56, which is connected to the loop 55 by the sheet portion 39 to define the S-shaped base sheet. The adjustment link 11 is completed by securement of the box 36 to the outer face of the link proper 37 with the securing tabs bent into the recesses 38 through the openings 40 and 53.

It will now be appreciated that the sheet portion or leaf 49 of the adjustment link 11 is substantially identical to the sheet portion or leaf extension 29 of the terminal link 19.

Before assembling the adjustment link 11 with the terminal link f 19, one of the laterally spaced tabs 46 of the laterally open book 56 is deformed or bent on a transverse line toward the sheet portion 41, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, to close one side of the last named hook. The adjustment link 11 may then be manipulated to insert one side edge portion 31 of the leaf 29 into the open side of the hook 56 until the leaf extension abuts against the deformed tab 46. As the leaf extension is of smaller lateral dimension than that of the hook 56, the undeformed tab 46 will be disposed just laterally outwards of the leaf extension, so that deformation of the last-mentioned tab on a transverse line toward the sheet portion 41 will close both sides of the book 56 and prevent lateral withdrawal of the leaf extension from the hook. In this condition, the link proper or plate 37 is disposed outwards of and in side by side adjacent relation with respect to the terminal link 19, substantially coplanar therewith, while the hook or loop 56 extends longitudinally inwards of the chain along the underside of the leaf 29 and closely about the inner edge 32 thereof into the space between the leaf 29 and terminal link 19. This, of course, will prevent or limit longitudinal movement of the adjustment link 11 relative to the terminal chain link 19.

If it is desired to remove the adjustment link 11 from the expansion chain 10, it is only necessary to bend one of the tabs 46 to its original position in line with the sheet portion 43 of the hook 56. This opens one side of the hook 56 and permits lateral Withdrawal of the leaf 29 from the latter hook.

As the extension sheet portion 49 of the adjustment link 11 is substantially identical to the hooked leaf extension 29 of the terminal link 19, it will now be understood that any number of adjustment links substantially the same as link 11, may be secured one to the other in the same manner as described hereinbefore. Adjustment link 11:: is substantially identical to adjustment link 11 and illustrates this principle.

The end-connector member 13, see Fig. l and 5, is formed with with a tubular portion or sleeve 58 of a size adapted to encircle the band connector pin of a watch. a A sheet portion 59 extends from one side of the sleeve 58, being laterally coextensive with the axial dimension of the latter, and is bent at 60, to provide a sheet portion 61 disposed in parallelism with the sheet portion 59, extending toward and terminating short of the sleeve. -Thus, the sheet portions 59, 60 and 61 define a laterally open hook or hooked sheet member, generally designated 62, on the sleeve 58. The sheet portion 61 of the book 62 is provided with a pair of laterally spaced cuts or slits 63 opening through the free end edge of the hook 62 to define a pair of deformable tabs 64 corresponding to the tabs 46 of the adjustment link 11. The hook 62 is adapted to receive the extension leaf 49a of the adjustment link 11a in substantially the same manner as the hook 56 receives the leaf 29, so that deformation of the tabs 64 to close opposite sides of the hook 62 will limit relative lateral movement of the hook 62 and leaf 49a, while separation of the adjustment link 11a and end-connector member 13 may be readily effected by merely bending one of the tabs 64 in line with the sheet portion 61.

Although the tube 58 and hook 62 of Figs. 1 and 5 have been illustrated and described as coextensive laterally of the chain 10, it is, of course, appreciated that the tube size may be varied in accordance with that required for connection to a particular Watch connector pin. Hence, Fig. 6 illustrates a slightly modified embodiment of the end-connector member, generally designated 13b, wherein the tube 53b extends beyond opposite sides of the hook 6212, While the tube 580 of the end-connector member (see Fig. 7) is smaller than the hook 62c laterally of the latter.

Fig. 8 illustrates still another embodiment of endconnector member, generally designated 13d, which includes a curvilinear tube or sleeve 58d and hook 62d. the sleeve being adapted for use in conjunction with cir cular or otherwise curved watches.

Of course, use of the adjustment links and end-con nector members is contemplated at either one or both ends ofa watch band, as desired.

From the foregoing, it is seen thatv the present inven- 5 tion provides a watch band construction which can be simply adjusted to perfectly fit the wearers wrist, and for connection to watches of various sizes and shapes, which otherwise fully accomplishes its intended objects, and which is well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

For use with a wristwatch band of the type having an expansible chain of a plurality of links normally disposed in side-by-side relation, the terminal link of which has a hooked end; an adjustment link comprising a sheet having a first end and a second end and two side edges, said sheet having an offset intermediate its ends defining two portions extending oppositely in spaced parallel planes, each end being reentrantly bent from the plane of its own portion into a plane of the other portion to define a link with an S-shaped cross sectional configuration having two oppositely directed hooks, the hook on said first end extending from one side edge to the other side edge and having a pair of laterally spaced slots extending from its free end inwardly and defining a pair of laterally spaced tabs deflectable toward the plane of its own portion, said tabs being disposed at opposite side edges of the hook on said first end and extending longitudinally of the link, the hook on said second end being of a transverse dimension less than the distance between said tabs and being dimensioned to fit laterally between the tabs of an adjacent similar link, said tabs on the adjacent link being deflectable toward the body portion of the link along a line transverse to the link when the hook of said second end of said link is interengaged with the hook and lies be tween the tabs of a first end of said adjacent link, whereby the opposite sides of said hook on said second end abut the inner longitudinal edges of said tabs to prevent relative lateral separation of said links.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 223,971 Whitney Jan. 27, 1880 1,684,977 Tost Sept. 18, 1928 2,761,600 Ritter et al Sept. 4, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 716,246 Germany Jan. 15, 1942 1,050,589 France Sept. 2, 1953 

